Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gets vaccine, removes his shirt — and the internet swoons
The polio vaccine had Elvis.
But he kept his shirt on.
Now the coronavirus vaccine has … Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Greek Prime Minister defrocked for his second shot to reveal a toned, pumped-up physique worthy of any romance novel cover, syringe notwithstanding.
And the internet is duly swooning.
There was, of course, no need to disrobe for a jab in the upper arm. Short sleeves would have sufficed.
But Mitsotakis wore a long-sleeved, Oxford shirt that he unbuttoned down to the naval, then coyly dropped off his shoulder, a la “Flashdance” – and then some.
In the requisite inoculation photo op, the 52-year-old PM gazes intently yet impassively into the camera as a needle is inserted into his arm.
He had gotten the first shot in late December, when the European Union began vaccinations, its officials urging doubters to “believe in science,” as The Associated Press reported Dec. 27.
Mitsotakis called that launch “a great day for science and the European Union,” AP reported. “We hope that, with time, even those of our fellow citizens who are suspicious of vaccination will be convinced it is the right thing to do.”
Mitsotakis’ newly immunized physique might or might not inspire others to get the shot. If nothing else, once immunized, they could get back to the gym.
He accessorized, too, without overdoing it.
“A necklace dangling tantalizingly between those pumped-up pecs,” joked London’s Evening Standard, after wondering if Mitsotakis had done more than a few pushups before his appointment. “We’re not normally into leather jewelry on men above the age of 20 and not on a gap year, but on Mitsotakis it works.”
“The Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has taken an ... unconventional approach to getting vaccinated,” The Times of London intoned. “One can only assume that he didn’t want to crease his sleeve.”
Twitter users also weighed in, natch, with everything from Dad jokes to shirtless-Putin references to talk of precedent-setting.
“He’s flexing the dad bod...” tweeted one.
“I guess that is one way to sell the vaccine,” tweeted one commenter, with a joking reference to oft-rumpled (not that there’s anything wrong with that) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “Please don’t make B. Johnson follow suit.”
